1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to a fitment for a spouted pouch, particularly one with a canoe-type base or meltable fin wherein the plastic is reduced in transition areas and in the wall thickness of the base. To accelerate and maintain the integrity of the process for installing a fitment, a heated mandrel shaped and sized to the inner diameter of the fitment passageway is used.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the prior art, it is known to use a fitment/spout with a canoe shaped base with extended meltable fins oriented 180° apart, and multiple horizontal ribs spaced evenly across the height of the canoe. The canoe shape and the meltable fins assure gradual transition from the two plies of film (one on each side of the fitment) to the maximum width of the canoe in the diametrical center of the fitment.
In order to seal or weld the fitments to the film at the fastest possible rate, and to reduce potential leaking at the base, the base can be made with horizontal ribs to increase the sealing pressure and to reduce the dwell time. However, the sealing pressure must not damage or misshape the inner diameter of the fitment. To avoid such problems, the canoe base is typically made more massive than would otherwise be required.
Because the maximum temperature of the jaws is limited by the characteristics of the film, the two driving variables of the sealing equation become the dwell time and the pressure. That is, a canoe base which is enlarged for the above reasons requires increased dwell time and pressure to bring it to the sealing temperature, which is counterproductive to the production rates of the fitment attachment process.
The attachment of this kind of fitment is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/452,714 entitled “Method for Attaching Fitment at Longitudinal Fin Seal and Package Resulting Therefrom” filed on Dec. 2, 1999.
Other prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 5,911,340 entitled “Spout Assembly, Spout Assembly Manufacturing Apparatus and Package with Spout Assembly” issued on Jun. 15, 1999 to Uematsu; U.S. Pat. No. 5,716,471 entitled “Method for Securing Articles to Laminates” issued on Feb. 10, 1998 to Pape; U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,434 entitled “Moisture Impervious Carton Having One-Piece Pouring Spout Sealed to Innermost and Outermost Surfaces” issued on Mar. 20, 1990 to Jones et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,894,381 entitled “Method and Means for Attaching Fitments to a Bag or Pouch on a Packaging Machine” issued on Jul. 15, 1975 to Christine et al.